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LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Provides educators with an integrated approach to language and literacy learning in early childhood
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Robyn Ewing, Jon Callow and Kathleen Rushton
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DATE PUBLISHED: June 2016 FORMAT: Paperback* ISBN: 9781107578623 *also available as an eBook
*Subject to meeting course requirements.
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www.cambridge.org/langlitEC
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Illuminating and accessible, this is an invaluable resource for preservice and practising early childhood teachers alike. Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood provides educators with an integrated approach to language and literacy learning in early childhood. Written by a team of leading academics in the field, it explores how children learn to talk, play using language, become literate and make meaning – from birth through to preschool and the early school years. Emphasising the importance of imagination, play and the creative arts in language learning, the authors address a wide range of contemporary issues, including digital literacies and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Taking a broad and inclusive world view, the book highlights the impact of diverse socioeconomic, language and cultural backgrounds on young children’s language and literacy development, and shows how early childhood teachers can effectively partner with parents and caregivers to help children learn through and about language. The book connects theory and current research to practice by providing case studies, interviews, reflective questions, clear links to the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, and a rich array of practical and creative activities for use in early childhood environments. Illuminating and accessible, this is an invaluable resource for pre-service and practising early childhood teachers alike.
KEY FEATURES • An integrated approach: moves seamlessly from exploring how children learn to talk, to exploring how their language and literacy can be developed • Connects theory and current research with practice: Includes case studies, interviews, reflective questions, creative activities, and clear links to the Early Years Learning Framework and Australian Curriculum • Encourages teachers to extend their work beyond the classroom: Suggests ways in which they could partner with parents and caregivers to aid children’s language and literacy development
DATE PUBLISHED: June 2016 FORMAT: Paperback* ISBN: 9781107578623 *also available as an eBook
www.cambridge.org/langlitEC
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dr Robyn Ewing is Professor of Teacher Education and the Arts in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. She teaches in the areas of curriculum, English, language, literacy and drama, and works with both early childhood and primary undergraduate and postgraduate students.
CONTENTS 1. Introduction: The importance of language in our lives 2. Learning how to mean: Exploring the dimensions of early language development 3. Playing with language: Imaginative play, language development and technology 4. Talking to learn: Listening to young children’s language 5. Difference and diversity in language and literacy development 6. Aboriginal perspectives in the early childhood literacy classroom 7. Reading with children: Quality literature and language development 8. Supporting the emergent reader 9. Storying and the emergent storyteller and writer 10. Making meaning with image and text in picture books 11. Digital literacies in the lives of young children 12. Language and literacy assessment in early childhood contexts and classrooms
Language & Literacy WEBSITE www.cambridge.edu.au/academic/ companion/ecliteracy/ • The companion website features links to video and audio content pertinent to the material covered in the text • Multiple interactive links are provided for each chapter, connecting students to video clips, podcasts, web blogs and online articles • Each video and audio clip will be accompanied by two extension questions to help connect the companion material to the text
Dr Jon Callow is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney and Director of the Master’s degree of Teaching Primary Program. Jon is an experienced primary school teacher academic and literacy educator, having worked in schools, universities and in professional development for teachers in Australia and internationally. Dr Kathleen Rushton is Co-Director of Professional Experiences in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. She has worked as an English-as-an-additional-language teacher and as a literacy consultant for the NSW Department of Education and Training. Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood
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SCENARIO: ALIENS Two eight-year-old boys with a collection of sticks are in the playground. They are on their hands and knees, sorting the sticks and arranging them on the concrete. On closer inspection, it is apparent that the sticks are being used to compose a message: ‘aliens are coming tomorrow’. After conversing with the children it is revealed that ‘aliens’ is a game the children have invented. It isn’t a game that is played daily; the stick message on the playground serves as an advertisement to other children that the game will be played the Creativity There are many following day. The children share that they don’t really know what definitions of creativity and you may like to do some will happen in the game, it will depend on who comes to play, research around the concept. how much time they have and the part of the playground where As a beginning, you might think they are able to play. about creativity as being able
Play A universal definition is elusive but we suggest it transcends the concept of recreation. It involves moving spontaneously outside constraints or boundaries to explore an object or concept more flexibly or creatively so the object or concept can be understood and enjoyed in new ways.
Imaginative play Building on the experience for children to explore, experiment, act out, role play engage, represent and make sense of their worlds.
CHAPTER 3
Playing with language: Imaginative play, language development and technology
to act on an idea that is new to you. Dimensions of creativity do not only include the imaginative idea or process – they also include the ability to persevere to see something through, to collaborate with others and to problem solve.
Figure 3.1 Announcing ‘Aliens coming tomorrow’
This scenario reveals how complex creativity and collaborative young children’s play can be. It also underlines that they should be given playful spaces and places to make their own decisions about imaginative play. It is important to be aware of children’s rhythms of play and respect their control of this rhythm, and how the design of physical spaces and the manipulation of artefacts within this can affect the development of play.
This chapter has been co-authored with Lisa Kervin, University of Wollongong. It considers the importance of building on children’s innate creativity and imagination. This aspect will be discussed alongside the role of imaginative play in language and literacy development. The relationship between traditional play and digital play as a new way of playing with language is also explored.
Anticipated outcomes for the chapter After working through this chapter you should be able to:
Introduction Chapter 2 began the discussion about the interrelationship of play, imagination and language development and it also referred to the importance of the arts in children’s learning (see Ewing, 2010). Chapter 9 particularly focuses on the role of
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• discuss the importance of creativity and imagination in the lives of all young children • understand the critical role that imaginative play can and should play in language and literacy development • consider the relationship between traditional forms of imaginative play and digital play • begin to understand the role of digital play in fostering creativity and language development • reflect on popular culture’s effect on imaginative play and language learning.
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